Roundup: April Races and Charity Events

Shake off the winter rust and get moving with these charity athletic events.

April is here, which means that Marathon Monday is just around the corner. And while the historic marathon is an exciting day of Boston pride, not everyone can run that far. If you’re more of a Marathon Monday spectator, but still want to get active, here are some races and charity events to get you going. Start slow and maybe by next year, you’ll be up to 26.2.

Shifter’s 5K

The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) is a Boston Marathon team that brings together hundreds of athletes together to raise money for cancer research.

Bring your kids to this event that proves you are never too young, or old, to be a yogi. This yogathon, open to those young at age and heart, is for anyone who wants to put their yoga practice to a good cause. The money raised will go towards Ivy Child International, a nonprofit organization that teaches children mindfulness-based health education programs.

This 5K and 10K is in honor of Calle, a local kindergarten-aged girl who passed away from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), which is a malignant inoperable brain tumor that affects children. All the money raised in this charity race will go toward DIPG research and to support families affected by this disease.

Each year, the money earned at this 5K goes towards building a home for a chosen injured military veteran. In the past three years this event has already helped build homes for three different soldiers, and this year they hope to build another for Veteran Matt DeWitt of Concord, N.H.

Here’s one that your kids can enjoy too. The annual Dunning Dash is 5K Run/Walk to support the art and technology programs at Dunning Elementary School. While the adults are running, the kids also get to participate in fun activities like an obstacle course, football and baseball tosses, a boot camp program, and even run their own 50-yard and 100-yard dash.

Does running along the Charles River make you feel free? Then this charitable 5K is right for you. The race along the Charles raises money for the National PKU alliance. Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is an inherited condition that prevents a person from metabolizing an amino acid called phenylalanine, and can often cause brain damage that leads to mental retardation, seizers, emotional problems, and learning disabilities.

This historical 5-mile race truly incorporates Boston’s Irish flare as it starts and ends at the traditional Irish pub Doyle’s Café. The race then runs through Franklin Park, which happens to be Boston’s largest park.

Join in this race up what’s considered one of the most difficult parts of the Boston Marathon, Heartbreak Hill. The race is a 1-mile run up and down the hill. All the money raised goes towards the Newton Community Pride—a non-profit organization that promotes arts, culture, and the beautification of the town.

Come walk, or run, on the wild side with this year’s 5K for the World Wildlife Fund. Whether you chose to be a tortoise and walk it, a kangaroo and bring your kid in a stroller, a cheetah and run it, or be a sloth and just watch, this event on the Charles River is a great way to celebrate Earth Day.

Are you mad for running? Even if you aren’t you can still participate by either walking or running in this 5K for Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD). MADD is an organization that works to raise awareness for the dangers of drunk driving and underage drinking.

If a regular 5K is too monotonous for you, then mix it up and get ready to get down and dirty. This race will have you maneuvering through a muddy obstacle course that’ll make you feel like you are in your own action movie. All of the money raised will go towards the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Want to get athletic but not a runner? Come get your zen on during this Yoga-a-thon for Boston Children’s Hospital, brought to you by Yoga Reaches Out. The event will run all day, and will have classes from both local and nationally recognized yoga instructors. This event, which takes place at Gillette Stadium, will also have live music, food, vendors, and presentations.

Time to celebrate the rock we live on, aka planet earth, with another kind of rock— rock music that is. Run either a half marathon or a full marathon. Then join in Earth Day festivities with live music, food, beer, and vendors showing off their eco-friendly and sustainable products.

Honor the literary genius of Irish author James Joyce in this run that attracts both pros and amateurs alike. This six-mile historical race started in 1984 when a Dedham resident decided that training for a race was just as hard as reading Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake.” Now, each year, the race honors a different writer and their work.

The cherry blossoms are blooming, the Charles River rowers are out, and we can finally trade our giant puffy coats for light jean jackets. Celebrate another beautiful Cambridge spring with this flat-coursed 5K.

This 5K and 10K goes towards Prayers for Charlotte, an organization that raises money for Neuroblastoma research and relief. Neuroblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer which affects infants and children. This year the race has already earned nearly $100,000 for this cause.

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